September 6 - Judges 17, 18 - "Take Me To Your Leader"

MPC 6th September 2020.

Phil Campbell

I don't know if you remember Marvin the Martian or not. I think you might have to be a certain age. But when I was a kid he was a regular part of Looney Tunes. Fronting up to Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck in his flying saucer ready to take over planet earth. And that's apparently the protocol when you're taking over a planet. You say, take me to your leader.

Most times it didn't actually work out. Especially when Marvin tried it out on a parking meter.

So I wonder what the outcome would have been if Marvin had landed in Ancient Israel. In the time of the judges. And made the same demand? Take me to your leader.

Because we've been watching the last few weeks as things in ancient Israel...

THE SPIRAL

Spiralled down in an endless cycle of anarchy. A word that literally means no leader.

Israel that was meant to be God's special possession. Unique among the nations. The ones who were meant to display God's righteousness to the nations around them. And drive out the evil of the idol worshipping child sacrificing pagan nations. Without becoming like them.

What's going to happen at this point... if Marvin the Martian were to land in his flying saucer. And say take me to your leader? Especially... if it's in the hill country to the north.

Before we answer that question. And the answer won't surprise you. I want to take a moment to think back to something Gideon said. When the people asked him to be king. Something in all the wrongs he did that Gideon got profoundly right.

We're back in Judges chapter 8. The people of Israel come to him and say Gideon, rule over us. Be our king.

Verse 22. They say, "Rule over us - you, your son and your grandson - because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian." 23 But Gideon says, no I won't. "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. the Lord will rule over you."

See, Gideon gets it. Israel is odd. Because at the centre of Israel there isn't a palace for a king. At the centre of Israel there's a tabernacle for God. And in the tabernacle there's no carved idol made of silver or tin. Because the God of the universe... the unmade creator God. The God who can in no way be contained... he's the one who rules over Israel. And no-one and nothing else.

No idols to bow down to. And no human king. Israel is meant to be different. Because Israel's King is God himself. The Lord will rule over you. Which might be a bit hard for our Martian friend to get his head around. Serving a God and King they couldn't set their eyes on. That they couldn't put their hands on.

Look, it mightn't have made much sense to an interplanetary visitor. And the sad fact is, apparently it didn't make much sense to the Israelite's either.

And so we come to the final chapters of Judges where there's a sad refrain. Which takes us through as we'll see next week to the final words in the book.

In you get the first taste here in chapter 17 verse 6. Marvin the Martian says take me to your leader. Here's the reply: we don't have one.

In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

In an older translation, everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

And look down the page a bit, you get it again. Chapter 18 verse 1.

In those days, Israel had no king.

No one in charge. And most especially not their God. And so. What's life look like in an Israel like that?

That's what we get to find out. In the two strange episodes that end the book. Today, Micah. In the Hill Country of Ephraim.

STOLEN SILVER

Micah. Who as we meet him is confessing to his mum that he's stolen the family nest egg. And now he's giving it back.

We're talking 13 kilos of silver, which on this week's prices would be worth just over $16,000. She's noticed it was missing, she's been cursing about it. And all along it was Micah. He says, "I have it with me. I took it."

Which is a strange introduction to the guy, but that's how things go in a land where everyone does as they see fit.

Stranger still, his mum blesses him. And gives it all back to him.

And strangest of all. Look what she says. Verse 3. At first it sounds so pious.

3 When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, "I solemnly consecrate my silver to the Lord... " so far so good "... For my son to make an image overlaid with silver. I will give it back to you."

4 So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah's house.

And so Micah sets up a shrine. And he makes an ephod, a Priestly chest piece. And some household gods. And installs one of his own sons as his priest. Which if you can't spot it already, is all kinds of wrong. It's out and out idolatry.

Which started off with his mum saying, I'm going to consecrate my silver to the Lord. Which sounded so reasonable.

Now look, here's a fun fact. Just in the last few weeks, there's been news about an archaeological discovery. It's a terracotta face. Which they're speculating is from a household god figurine.

And the big headline was asking, is this the face of God?

Because they found it. In an excavation in Israel; in the time of the judges.

And the archaeologists are saying, it's exactly like the sort of god figurines you find in other places. Outside Israel. Which is weird, they're saying, because Israelites were meant to not do that. According to the Second Commandment. Israelites were meant to not make idols and bow down to them. And to serve God alone. And be different.

How do you reckon they're going?

In those days, when God was meant to be their king... Israel had no king. Verse 6. Everyone did as they saw fit.

But look, in verses 7 to 13 it gets even more bizarre. Because Micah gets to upgrade his household priest to a genuine Levite; who's passing by from Bethlehem in Judah.

Levites were the tribe whose birthright it was to look after the sacrifices and the tabernacle. The real one.

And now here's Micah in verse 10, offering him a job at ten shekels of silver a year; with a food and clothing allowance as well.

And Micah installs him. Which is what you do with a Bishop or a Priest or a new TV set; and it's all good. And Micah says in verse 13, "now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest."

Do you notice. It's God on tap. It's not Micah serving his God and king. It's God domesticated. To serve him. With his household idols. And his private priest.

God... guaranteed to give good outcomes. Because you've got him in a box.

See, the land where everyone does as they see fit can still look very religious. But in those days, Israel had no king. That's the reminder again in chapter 18 verse 1.

And so let's watch things get even worse. Watch the rot spread from this one guy in the hill country. To a whole tribe of Israel. And an enduring legacy that runs right through hundreds of years of their history.

TRIBE OF DAN

It's the tribe of Dan, still looking for their own slice of the promised land. Chapter 18 verse 1, and they're still looking for a place of their own to settle because they haven't yet come into their inheritance among the other tribes.

So they've sent out spies, and they've come to the hill country of the tribe of Ephraim where Micah lives; and they spend the night at Micah's place. And they chat to the young Levite who's working as Micah's private priest. Who in verse 6 blesses them.

The five spies go on to Laish; and they figure it's a good place to take over for themselves. Isolated. Prosperous.

So they head back home and say we've found a place. Let's attack them. We've seen the land and it's very good. It's all laid on for us. Let's go. So six hundred men set out; they camp the first night in Judah. And then on to the hill country of Ephraim again and they're coming towards Micah's house. Where the spies had stayed before.

And verse 13 the spies say, hey, that house over there. The guy's got an ephod. He's got household gods. He's got a carved image. And a carved idol. Overlaid with silver.

We're at the end of verse 14. So now... you know what to do. Which they would. If they were thinking of the commands of Moses back in Deuteronomy 13. When he warned them about idols.

12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in 13 that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.

And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, 15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock...

... Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors- 18 because you obey the Lord your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes.

Now I know. There's lots of God talk going on in Micah's house. It all started when his mum said, I'm going to consecrate my silver to the Lord; let's make an idol with it.

But the Lord says, that's idolatry. That's not what I want! What I want is your hearts. And your obedience. I want you to do what's right in my eyes. Not your own eyes.

Men of Dan. When you find a house full of idols, you know what to do. God says trash the place. In Righteous Judgment. The way to blessing isn't to make your own gods. It's to honour the real God.

Except they don't. They say, hey, that's a nice set of idols. hand them over. Give your idols to us. And we'll take your priest as well.

The priest says, hey what are you doing. Verse 18.

But they say, be quiet. You're coming with us. And be our father and priest. Isn't it better that you serve a whole tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man's household?

And when he hears that, the priest, in verse 20, is very pleased. Why wouldn't he be? What a promotion. And he takes the ephod, and he takes the household gods... and he takes the silver idol; and off he goes with the tribe of Dan. To be their tribal priest with his household gods in a classic case of what they'd called domesticated religion.

Micah rounds up some of his local mates and they chase them. The Danites laugh. They say, what's the matter with you that you called out your men to fight? And Micah says, verse 24, and again, such telling words... What do you think is the matter with me? "You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask "What's the matter with you.""

You... took... the gods I made. The source of my protection. My only hope for blessing. Doesn't that say it all?

"What else do I have?" Well, as an Israelite, you've got a covenant with the unseen Lord who made the heavens and the earth. Who's offering you blessing in the promised land. Is that enough for starters?

But verse 27, after he realises the Danites are too strong, he goes home. Dejected.

And then they took what Micah had made... just as one more reminder... and they head for Laish; where the people were at peace and secure.

And there, verse 30, the Danites set up for themselves the idols, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, the son of Moses and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land. And they continued to use the idols Micah had made, the whole time.

Take me to your leader? Well, here he is. This little silver guy in this little wooden outhouse. With his private team of priests running round to serve him.

And you notice. The unnamed Levite. Who's been anonymous up until now. Jonathan. A direct descendant of Moses. Which is maybe the saddest thing of all.

That's life. In the land with no King. And we'll see next week, it's a pretty dark place to be. And a future already flagged in verse 30 that's heading for a bad ending. The captivity of the land.

Here they are, at the start of the story. And we're already being told that these guys in the hill country, the tribe of Dan of the nation of Israel; they'll be idol worshippers. All the way through their history. Until God sends them into exile. It's all there if you look closely at our timeline picture.

God's crown... upended.

And when archaeologists are digging round 3000 years later, they'll be finding little bits of broken idol. Saying, I thought Israel was meant to be different.

What they need, of course, is a profound change of heart.

JESUS AND YOU

What they need, is they do need a king. Who can lead them in God's authority to serve him from the heart.

Who'll take on himself their due punishment and destruction. Pay their penalty. And somehow bring them to a whole new way of living.

All of which is where the Bible's story is heading. As it heads towards the new covenant. And Jesus.

The part of the story where we get to be included. Invited to live as part of God's new covenant people under the rule of King Jesus. Who the New Testament calls the King of kings and Lord of lords.

So. I want to finish this morning by asking you the obvious question. As one of God's new covenant people... if you are one. As one of God's new covenant people. What you'd say if little Marvin turns up. And says take me to your leader. Because who is it. Really. Not just in theory. But in practice.

See, if you've got no King... you'll just spend your life doing what ever it takes to please number 1. And if functionally number one is you.

EINSTEIN

Albert Einstein once said... E=mc^2. But apart from that, he also said some stuff that's slightly easier to understand.

It was 1915. He was Jewish. And he was asked his opinion of the great war. Which he argued was fuelled by a form of violent nationalistic Christianity. Similar, maybe, to some of the kind of attitudes we're seeing in America today.

His reply was three pages long. But at the end he said, why so many words? I could say it all in a single sentence... he said, as a Jew, here's what I'd say to Christian Europe.

Honour your master, Jesus Christ, not only with words and songs but, rather, foremost through your deeds.

It's not rocket science, is it? Jesus our Master not just in words and songs. But in our deeds. Christianity in practice. When it's costly.

Submitting ourselves to a king whose coronation was on a cross. A King demonstrated to be king in power by his resurrection.

If you've got no King, in your own personal anarchy you'll do exactly whatever you feel like. And your life will end up looking something like the mess that's the ancient nation of Israel.

For all of us. Me included. It's easy to pay lip service to the fact you've got a King. And yet the reality is far different.

In the book Puberty Blues Gabrielle Carey tells the story of growing up in the beach culture at Cronulla in the late 1970s. She says when I wrote the book "People were surprised to hear how young surfie girls were when they started having sex in the back of panel vans at Cronulla beach. And it wasn't just the surfie chicks. Get this bit. Our arch-rivals, the Christian fellowship nerds, were also having it off at 14."

No different. Words and songs. But not deeds.

Real Christians have a real king. And having a King makes all the difference in the world to how we live our lives. In the way we refuse to bow down to anything else. Or to look for blessings elsewhere. Or make our gods with our own hands. The way we refuse to redefine or contain the real God to suit ourselves.

It would be tragic, wouldn't it, if - not so much Marvin the Martian - but if the world looked at you, looked at us, and said, there's no king there? And everyone does what is right in their own eyes. Friends, lets make every effort; and make it our prayer. That with the help of God's Spirit... that may not be so.

Table of Contents

THE SPIRAL

STOLEN SILVER

TRIBE OF DAN

JESUS AND YOU

EINSTEIN